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NEWBERRY ‒ Florida’s newest historic landmark has been unveiled in Newberry. In what was a decade’s long process, on Dec. 4 a plaque was unveiled designating Dudley Farm as a National Historic Landmark. The 260-acre property contains 18 frame buildings built between 1882 and 1945 by three generations of the Dudley family, one of the early settlers in the area and prominent figures in the history of Alachua County.

Phillip Benjamin Harvey Dudley and his wife, Mary, originally settled in Archer but moved to the present location in 1855. They came, like many other plantation owners in Alachua County, from South Carolina and brought enslaved African Americans with them as laborers, producing mainly cotton.

Dudley rapidly became a middle-class agrarian through his ownership of 960 acres and the 30 enslaved people who cleared land and grew cotton. Dudley served in the Civil War as a Confederate officer while his family maintained the farm. When the war ended, he returned home to the challenge of managing a large cotton plantation without the newly freed slaves.

Dudley Sr. and his son, Ben, turned to grazing cattle as well as raising cotton and crops with hired help and tenant farmers. Work began on a road from the farm to Gainesville so cattlemen could drive herds to market. “Dudley” was now on the map as a community center and a crossroad connecting Newberry, Archer, Jonesville and Gainesville.

After his father died in 1881, Ben Dudley built the present farmhouse to accommodate his family that grew to eight girls and four boys. He added a general store, kitchen, smokehouse, sweet potato storehouse, dairy and canning house, outhouses, corn crib and barn. The farm produced various crops, cattle, turkeys and pork. The entire family worked on the labor-intensive farm with horses, mules and essential hired help. Though vital to the farm, laborers and tenant farmers were paid only with a “furnish” partly consisting of pork and sugarcane. Later, laborers and tenants may have worked on a cash basis.

Ben died in 1918 and his wife, Fannie, managed the farm with her sons Ralph, Harvey and Frank. They kept up with the advances in farming technology and the farm continued to expand. Most of the children moved away, but Ralph continued to run the farm until his death in 1967. Myrtle Dudley, the youngest of Ben's 12 children, was the last to remain on the farm. She managed a small cattle herd and vegetable and flower gardens.

To keep the farm intact as she grew older with no heirs, she donated 24 acres, with most of the buildings to the Florida Park Service in 1983. In 1986, the state purchased an additional 232 acres to preserve the rural landscape. Myrtle continued to live on the farm until her death 1996 at the age of 94.

The Park Service kept the historic site as an example of a late 1800s working farm by using staff and volunteers in period farm clothing to carry out daily chores, raise the crops and take care of the livestock and educate visitors to life in the 1880s. Historian and Author Maurie Laurie petitioned to get Dudley Farms added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, which was granted in 2002.

According to Dudley Park Service Specialist Sandra Cashes, the process for applying for National Landmark Status started back in 2009 and Dudley Farm was finally designated as a National Historic Landmark in January 2021.One benefit of the status is the property can qualify for more federal grants for upkeep and restoration. Another recent change was the annexation of the property into the City of Newberry. This allows the City to have more input into upkeep and changes to the property and promote it as a historic tourist destination, although all final decisions are made by the State Park Service.

The ceremony to officially unveil the plaque for the Historic Landmark designation also included farm held demonstrations by staff dressed in period clothing on a variety of activities on how the farm worked. Reenactors demonstrated the cane grinding and syrup process, blacksmithing, laundry, cooking, sausage grinding and corn husking. Other reenactors played music at various spots throughout the farm.

Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe introduced several speakers including new park manager Dennis Parsons, Cashes and Laurie, all of whom talked about the history, significance and future plans at Dudley Farms. Speaker Sherry Dupree discussed the one piece of history that has been missing is the contribution of the African Americans on the farm, first as slaves and later as laborers and tenant farmers. She spoke about the current efforts to add that history to the park and announced that another building will be added to the location.

The Perkins House, owned by Helen Saltzgiver, was home to an African American family that once worked at Dudley Farm. “James and Rebecca Perkins were one of the Jonesville pioneer African American families,” said DePree. Coming from South Carolina as enslaved African American workers, the couple owned 40 acres northeast of Dudley Farm where they raised eight children. “By bringing the house here, it will be used to educate visitors about the lives and accomplishments of African American families during the 19th and 20th centuries,” said DuPree.

Saltzgiver has agreed to donate the house to the park, and Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe said an anonymous donor has agreed to pay the $75,000 cost of moving the house to Dudley. Due to requirements for the Park Service and National Landmark staff to complete site surveys, it may take up to nine months before the actual relocation will take place.

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ALACHUA ‒ Enjoy festive holiday lights and special events at Alachua’s Holiday Nights on Main. The entire month of December offers shopping, dining, strolling and much more. For a full calendar of events and an activity map, visit HolidayNightsonMain.com

On Friday, Dec. 3, get the season started with the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Fa La La La Fridays. Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be in their festive house on Main Street early on this Friday only from 2-5 p.m. where they’ll be taking photos with children and families while they await the tree lighting at 6 p.m.

On Dec. 10 and 17, Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be in their home from 5-8 p.m. waiting to greet children. On the evening of the tree lighting ceremony from 6-8 p.m., families can also take photos with Santa and enjoy children’s activities before they stroll down Main Street to enjoy festivities on all three Fa La La La Fridays.

Main Street will be sharing the way for pedestrians to enjoy rides in one of two horse drawn carriages. Individuals visiting the south carriage stop can catch a ride for two to four people, pick up a warm beverage at Tea Time Tranquility and Treasures and explore the shops of South Main to make ornaments at Alachua Flowers and crafts at the Alachua Woman’s Club.

Individuals traveling north on Main with holiday gift purchases can go to the Grinchmas Party at Michael Turner, CPA for free gift wrapping and ornament making and then peek in the beautiful holiday windows of the Manor on Main Street as it prepares for its grand opening as an event venue.

Next stop is Santa’s Village. After visiting Mr. and Mrs. Claus at Santa’s House on Central Main, climb aboard Santa’s Sleigh for the perfect photo. Main Street hosts many restaurants welcoming all to stop in to dine or carry out to watch the movie on the wall. Before leaving Santa’s Village, take a ride on the wagonette with room for 8-12 people.

Stop by My Happy Place on Main to pick up a specialty coffee or hot chocolate for the littles and then relax in the Elves’ Street Lounge for adult beverages. The area will be filled with sounds and sights of the season with live music and lights from the Historic Theater Park and the spectacular light changing electronic Christmas Tree. Check out the shops and join Kelly’s Kreations to design your own candle.

As you stroll, keep an eye out for “shelfie signs” to place your camera for the perfect photo opportunity, complete with a Holiday Nights filter!

On Saturday, Dec. 4, join the Alachua Woman’s Club as it kicks off a year-long campaign to save the club with The Charity Ball of Saint Nicholas (tickets at saintnickball.eventbrite.com). The Alachua Woman’s Club has been a treasured resource for family engagement since its construction in 1935. The Club’s mission is to support the youth in our community. As times have changed, so has the way in which the Club engages with the community. The Alachua Women’s Club is positioning itself to meet the needs of today’s society and wants to be a space for families to come together.

This is the year to “Save the Women’s Club” and bring it back to its shining glory both as a historic structure and as a place to create memories. With recent global events subsiding, the Club is opening its doors to a variety of engaging and fun-filled activities, starting with See It To Be It: youth have an opportunity to visit local businesses and visit with a representative to gain insight into various industries.

Budget 101: Regularly scheduled sessions grouped by age range meet at the club with a financial advisor to learn budget basics

Etiquette 101: Children have an opportunity to attend a month-long series of etiquette classes to learn etiquette in preparation for dances and formals.

Parent and Child Dances: Parents have an opportunity to take their children for dinner and dancing.

Children’s Formals: Following upscale events such as the St. Nicholas Gala, the décor will remain in place for the children to attend a fancy affair on the following day.

Ladies Night: Club members attend a relaxed evening for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.

Alachua’s Holiday Nights on Main has something to offer the entire family all month long. Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy the season with the perfect blend of excitement and nostalgia.

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ALACHUA ‒ The Alachua Woman’s Club was ablaze with lights and sounds of the season last Saturday night as they celebrated the Charity Ball of Saint Nicholas. The Alachua Woman’s Club organization and its landmark historic stone building have been fixtures on Main Street since 1936. The club itself was founded in 1912 during the summer when three new classrooms were built onto the wooden school house in Alachua. The county school board had no money available to buy the furnishings for the new classrooms, including desks, chairs, blackboards, books, and even chalk.

A primary teacher by the name of Mrs. Hilton, who had taught in other schools brought an idea that she had seen work in other places before a gathering of Alachua parents and teachers. Her suggestion was for parents and teachers to join together and form a club that would focus on solving the problems of school needs.

Originally called The School Improvement Club of Alachua, the group was charged with creating unity and fellowship for a woman's organization, so the members were primarily female.

They organized fund raising projects throughout the year and were able to raise enough money to furnish the new schoolrooms, pay a $125 down on a piano, and hire a janitor for the school, and they continued their goal though the years. In 1921 the club members decided that not only did the school need their continued help, but also there were many things they could do to help the community so they changed the club’s name to The Improvement Club of Alachua.

By 1924, the group had grown bigger and idea of an central clubhouse was discussed, but it would be another 14 years before the historic building on Main Street was built. In 1949 the club’s name changed once again and became The Alachua Woman’s Club (AWC). But the focus through the years stayed the same—an organization of women focused on helping schools and education by raising funds and volunteer work.

Each year the AWC awards a full, two-year scholarship to Santa Fe College to a girl graduating from Santa Fe High School. They also operate the first Food 4 Kids program in Alachua, which provides food for hungry children at Alachua Elementary School. Each holiday season they donate funds to the two elementary schools to help provide toys and clothes for children in need.

The clubhouse is not only a meeting place, but is also used to host events and raise funds for charitable projects as a rental event space, so the building has seen a lot of use including a restoration campaign in 2007. Old buildings need upkeep and during the pandemic shutdown, the club made some major repairs. The wood floors needed sanding and varnish. Cracks in the 73-year-old structure needed structural repairs, plastering, and painting.

“The amount of support from the community and business was amazing,” said Alachua CRA director Lindsey Rizzo. “We had volunteers to do much of the work for free and financial funding from a number of organizations.”

But there is still work to be done, so as their first event since the pandemic, the Woman's Club held their first annual Charity Ball of Saint Nicholas on Dec. 4 to thank all their sponsors and supporters and raise additional funds with a silent auction.

Saint Nicholas greeted all the guests at the door and mingled with the crowd during the reception hour as guests enjoyed appetizers from a buffet provided by caterer Taste of Gainesville while Wayne's World DJ provided music and guests had the opportunity to place bids for the silent auction.

At 7 p.m. Woman's Club Building Manager Emelie Matthews and Rizzo gave awards to their top three Gold Sponsors - Holiday Inn Express, Polaris of Gainesville and Emory Group Companies. They also thanked six Platinum sponsors and the 15 partners in the restoration efforts.

Santa, now dressed as the authentic Saint Nicholas of Myra, told the history of the man and how he transitioned into Santa Claus. The DJ also led the assembled group in a sing along of Christmas songs and the evening finished off with an hour of dancing and announcement of the winners of the silent auction, which saw all items sold. For members of the Woman's Club, who spend their energy and resources helping others, it was a night that the community gave back to them in the Christmas spirit.

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ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ Following the Interstate-75 crash that killed two High Springs residents and seriously injured another on Thanksgiving morning, the alleged driver of the black passenger vehicle responsible for the crash was arrested.

Demiko Montrell White, Jr., 23, of St. Petersburg, the alleged driver of the black passenger vehicle that caused the white SUV to overturn, was arrested on a charge of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. White is also wanted on a warrant out of Orange County for violating probation by getting arrested on a battery charge in Leon County and was sentenced to probation in Pinellas County just three days prior to the crash for violating a previous probation by failing a drug test. His probation meant that White was prohibited from leaving Pinellas County without permission from his probation officer.

Deputies learned from Florida Highway Patrol that the driver of the car that caused the crash had an out-of-county warrant. The alleged driver, White, also had a suspended driver’s license. When the vehicle was searched, a handgun was found in the glove compartment and a small bag of marijuana was found. A search of the driver’s criminal history revealed that White is a convicted felon with an active warrant out of Orange County.

White’s passenger stated that the handgun and marijuana were not his, and he didn’t know who they belonged to. The passenger was not arrested.

Post Miranda, White agreed to answer questions, and he was asked if he was driving the vehicle involved in the accident. He said, “Y’all already know who was driving, I spoke with a trooper.” The deputy said he needed to re-interview him, then White said he was not the one driving the vehicle. The deputy asked if he was in the passenger seat, and White said, “I never said that.” The deputy then advised White that a handgun was found in the passenger side glove box, to which White reportedly replied, “Oh, no, I was driving.” White said he had no knowledge of the handgun. When asked how the handgun had ended up in the glove box, White said, “It has always been there.” The deputy reminded White that as a convicted felon, he cannot be around any type of firearms, and White reportedly said, “That’s ok, I can beat it.”

The deputy wrote that due to the conflicting stories told by White, there was probable cause to arrest him.

According to court records posted on Nov. 29, White was released on $15,000 bond on Nov. 26, with the condition that he possess no firearms. A public defender was appointed. The First Appearance Order scores him as a low flight risk and states that he is not employed.

An Orange County warrant dates from an arrest on April 27, 2021, in which the arresting officer reported that White was driving 100 mph on SR 408. White’s driving and arrest records date back to 2015 with numerous charges listed, which include failure to show, failure to pay fines, controlled substance arrests, suspended license, probation for 360 days, arrests for battery, felony possession of cocaine and marijuana, careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, felony battery charges, fleeing and eluding.

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ALACHUA ‒ Alachua is doing it up big this holiday season as events are happening every weekend throughout the month. In 2006, the City of Alachua began holding several events to celebrate Christmas with the community. Longstanding events started the first Friday of the month with a tree lighting ceremony along with a visit from Santa Claus, followed the next weekend by a Christmas parade with brightly colored floats, marching bands, and all sorts of conveyances on Main Street. The event has grown every year, both in size of the crowd and participation of Alachua businesses.

But like so many other things, the COVID pandemic limited the event in 2020. While it was still held, changes were made and events were moved to Skinner Park where the outdoor space allowed for social distancing. While Santa still greeted the crowd from his carriage and did the countdown to the tree lighting, there was no face-to-face meeting with the children, music was limited, and safety concerns even impacted the tradition of giving out candy, hot chocolate and cookies.

This year, the celebration is in overdrive. On Dec. 3, Main Street was decorated with brightly lit multi-colored lights and downtown businesses sponsored candy giveaways and children's activities. Santa and Mrs. Claus listened to children's Christmas wish lists as his elves helped direct the line so each child could meet Santa. The space was transformed into a magical spot covered in Christmas lights with cookies and gifts for the children. Musicians performed along the brightly lit street as families strolled along, peeking in shop windows after the official tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. The tree lighting, visit with Santa, and the parade has become a holiday tradition throughout the community.

It is a month-long celebration as Alachua is bringing back the magic of the holiday season. Under the guidance of CRA director Lindsey Rizzo, “Holiday Nights on Main Street” features a whole series of events to keep the Christmas spirit alive. The tree lighting in Skinner park was the kick off for the season. Called “Fa La La Fridays,” all three Fridays before Christmas will feature a series of events sponsored by the businesses on Main Street, the City of Alachua and corporate sponsors. “The events are the work and coordination of numerous volunteers and businesses, and we are grateful for all the work they put into this,” said Rizzo. “We wanted to make this a celebration of the whole holiday month with participation from the whole community, not just the singular events of the past.”

Some of the changes from last year remained, such as the tree lighting at Skinner Field. Santa arrived in his carriage and announced the tree lighting countdown, but this year the children could again sit on Santa's lap.

“We found that moving all the city events to one location last year made more sense and focused activities in the park. But we also got a lot of support from businesses and organizations on Main Street,” said Rizzo. Photos with Santa were provided by Magnolia Lane Photography and Alachua Boy Scout Troop 88 provided hot chocolate. Capitol City Bank provided popcorn and costumed characters in the park while the City provided cookies and a snow machine blowing out pretend flakes.

Along with decorative lights and Christmas trees, carriage rides on Main Street offered a nostalgic glimpse of times past The City also added a selfie photo opportunity in Santa's Sleigh. Kelly's Kreations set up a candle making workshop for kids and Alachua Flowers provided an ornament making class, while the office of Michael Turner, CPA offered free gift wrapping. The Alachua Woman's Club provided other activities for children. Springs Title set up a movie screening on a building wall. Other sponsors who provided materials or funding included Vystar, Fracture, Signarama and Dollar General. All these activities are part of the Fa La La Fridays and will continue for the next two Fridays.

Other events that are part of the month-long celebration include a performance of the Nutcracker at Legacy Park on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. The Christmas Parade will be held on Main Street on Dec. 11, a children’s bash at the Woman's Club on Dec. 12, Pizza and Pajama events with Santa at My Pizza Place on Dec. 16 and 18 and the grand opening of Manor on Main on Dec. 21. More information on all events can be found at holidaynightsonmain.com.

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ALACHUA ‒ A three vehicle crash on Thanksgiving morning resulted in the deaths of two High Springs residents and serious injury to a third. The crash occurred on Interstate-75 just south of the Alachua exit at Mile Marker 397 at approximately 10:40 a.m.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the driver, who sustained minor injuries, was a 55-year-old male driving a white sport utility vehicle. Deceased passengers were a 13-year-old and an 83-year-old female, both from High Springs. The seriously injured passenger is a 50-year-old female, also from High Springs.

The crash occurred when a 23-year-old St. Petersburg man, driving a black passenger vehicle, with a 21-year-old passenger, also from St. Petersburg, was traveling south on I-75 in the center lane. A semi truck hauling a trailer was driven by a 38-year-old Clermont man and was also traveling south on I-75 in the right lane, beside the black passenger vehicle.

At the same time the white SUV carrying the High Springs residents was traveling south on I-75 in the left lane. The black passenger vehicle entered into the right lane, which was already occupied by the semi. The right side of the black passenger vehicle struck the left side of the semi and then began to travel in an easterly direction toward the left lane. The black vehicle’s left front struck the right rear area of the SUV. The impact caused the SUV to travel onto the right shoulder and overturn several times.

Two passengers from the SUV were ejected as the vehicle rolled over and they were pronounced dead at the scene and the third passenger was taken to the hospital in serious condition.

The driver and passenger in the black passenger vehicle and the driver of the semi tractor/trailer reported no injuries. All occupants of the white SUV and semi tractor/trailer were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. It is unknown whether the driver and passenger in the black passenger vehicle were belted in.

In addition to FHP, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies, the Alachua Police Department and the High Springs Police Department responded to the scene of the crash.

At the time of the initial report, this accident was still under investigation.

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